Ezekiel 13:18

and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their wrists and make veils for the heads of people of every height, in order to ensnare their souls. Will you ensnare the souls of My people but preserve your own?

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The Lord Yahweh commands Ezekiel to confront the false prophetesses who claim divine authority. This declaration occurs during a broader judgment against those who manipulate spiritual guidance for personal gain.

The words — כְּסָתוֹת (ke.sa.Tot) denotes "bands" or "charms," while מְתַפְּרוֹת (me.ta.pe.rot) means "women who sew." Together they name the physical objects used in the practice and the artisans who crafted them.

The thread — The text's warning against spiritual ensnarement runs directly into Ezekiel 13:20, where God declares war on these same charms, and Jeremiah 6:14, which condemns the careless preaching of false peace. 2 Peter 2:14 further tracks this pattern by describing cursed individuals who actively seduce the unstable.

Why it lands — The text explicitly states that these women sew charms and veils to ensnare souls while preserving their own lives. It requires readers to reject any spiritual practice or teaching that substitutes human manipulation for divine authority and prioritizes self-preservation over truth.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ve./'a.mar.Taand/ you will say כֹּה־koh-thus אָמַ֣ר׀'a.Marhe says אֲדֹנָ֣י'a.do.Nai[the] Lord יְהוִ֗הYah.wehYahweh הוֹי֩hOwoe!לִֽמְתַפְּר֨וֹתli/m.ta.pe.Rotto/ [women who] sew כְּסָת֜וֹתke.sa.Totbands עַ֣ל׀'alon כָּל־kol-all אַצִּילֵ֣י'a.tzi.Lei[the] joints of יָדַ֗יya.Da/ihands/ my וְעֹשׂ֧וֹתve./'o.Sotand/ [women who] make הַמִּסְפָּח֛וֹתha./mis.pa.Chotthe/ long veils עַל־'al-on רֹ֥אשׁrosh[the] head of כָּל־kol-every קוֹמָ֖הko.Mahstature לְצוֹדֵ֣דle./tzo.Dedto/ hunt נְפָשׁ֑וֹתne.fa.Shotpersons הַנְּפָשׁוֹת֙ha./ne.fa.shOt¿/ persons תְּצוֹדֵ֣דְנָהte.tzo.De.de.nahwill you hunt לְעַמִּ֔יle./'a.M/iof/ people/ my וּנְפָשׁ֖וֹתu./ne.fa.Shotand/ personsלָכֶ֥נָהla./Khe.nahof/ yourselfתְחַיֶּֽינָה׃te.chai.Yei.nahwill you preserve alive?

King James Version

And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?

Cross-references

2 Peter 2:14 Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.
Ezekiel 13:20 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: See, I am against the magic charms with which you ensnare souls like birds, and I will tear them from your arms. So I will free the souls you have ensnared like birds.
Jeremiah 6:14 They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.
Ezekiel 22:25 The conspiracy of the princes in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing its prey. They devour the people, seize the treasures and precious things, and multiply the widows within her.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.
Jeremiah 4:10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, how completely You have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’ while a sword is at our throats.”
Ezekiel 13:10 Because they have led My people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and whitewashing any flimsy wall that is built,
Ezekiel 13:16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw a vision of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Lord GOD.’
Ephesians 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.